Napster Vs Rhapsody: Which iPhone and iPad Music Service Rocks?

I am a music subscription fan. I know, I do not hold the popular opinion on this one, but for me I like having an unlimited music library at my disposal, and I am more than willing to pay a small fee to maintain that privilege. I understand that I do not own the music, and I cannot keep it, but for my needs, music subscriptions work very well.

Zune owners have always had access to the Zune Marketplace and a subscription model, but I am an Apple Fanboy and own an iPhone and iPad. Until recently, I had few options other than purchasing music from Amazon or the iTunes store and then pump it on to my iDevices via iTunes. Now, however, there are music subscription service options for iOS devices; both Rhapsody and Napster have apps that allow me to enjoy an unlimited music library via a subscription plan.

Subscription Music Plans Explained

The traditional digital distribution model for media players is to purchase media files directly from stores such as the Amazon Music Store, EMusic or iTunes. This works out pretty well because you can buy almost anything and you will typically pay less than $1 per track or $10 per album. By spending a bit every month, a user can slowly build up a music library do anything he/she wants with the music. Music subscriptions work much differently.

When you have a music subscription plan, you are essentially renting or leasing music. For example, both Napster and Rhapsody allow a user to spend $10 per month and offer unlimited access to over 10,000,000 music tracks via an iOS device or a computer. You can "cache" music on the device for listening while you are offline, and you can steam music endlessly. The catch is, once you stop paying a subscription to the service, the music dies and becomes unplayable. This is all due to the magic of DRM or digital rights management. The upside of a subscription is that you have unlimited music to fit any need or desire; unfortunately, none of it is yours.

Rhapsody for the iPhone and iPad

Rhapsody bills itself as the #1 music subscription service. A Rhapsody subscription will cost $10 per month and allow the user to access over 10,000,000 tracks. You can access the library via any web enabled computer or an iOS device such as the iPod Touch, iPad or an iPhone. Using your computer or your iPod, you can create play lists for moods or events, and you can make favorites lists. Using the iOS device, you can cache these play lists for use while offline. The music player works the same as the iPod App, and will allow for multitasking playback. You can listen to the Rhapsody Subscription Service while surfing the web, typing or texting.

The Rhapsody App is simplistic. Using the app, you have access to your queue, library, play lists, a search function and a music browser. When you play a music file, you are greeted with the album artwork and basic playback controls. The physical design of the app leaves much to be desired, especially because it is only an iPhone app, and looks horrible blown up on an iPad. It is very simplistic and rough looking. Browsing is clunky and never works entirely smoothly. Caching is useful, but having to cache play lists instead of individual songs or albums is neither intuitive or convenient.

The streaming quality of music is decent, but I did suffer several stops and stutters in the music. This was very frustrating because the music would simply stop; there was no error message or notification. I could never tell if it was the device, the app, or the track. My biggest complaint is that I could only have the software on one device. When I installed the app on both my iPad and iPhone, I was warned that I could only have once device authorized at a time. For me, this is a deal breaker. If I am going to pay to lease music, I want to at least control when and where I can listen to it. The Rhapsody application is available from the iTunes store and is free.

Napster for the iPhone and iPad

Like Rhapsody, the Napter service offers over 10,000,000 tracks, and the service costs $10 per month. All 10,000,000 tracks can be streamed online via a computer or iOS device, and Napster allows caching of music to a device. With so many similarities to the Rhapsody service, Napster needs something very interesting to set it apart. In my opinion, the Napster app offers plenty more for the price.

One thing that sets the Napster subscription apart is the design of the app. The Napster app has an all around better user interface and a much more intuitive design. In the app, users immediately see various ways to browse the Napster Subscription Library. You can browse the Billboard Top 100 lists, pre-generated Napster play lists, basic search, or genre searches. On the second page, you have full access to your library. While your library is playing, you have complete access to your multi-tasking device.

One other huge plus for the Napster app is that you can cache play lists, individual songs, or individual albums. The Napter app for the iPod and iPad also automatically caches the last 100 songs played. That way, if you want to hear it again, it is there for you. To me, the basic convenience of being able to download individual albums makes the Napster app a much better option. If you want to explore, the Napster App will auto-mix music, like Pandora, based on artist, song, or genre.

Finally, I have chosen the Napster Service as my favorite because I can install the app on more than one device. I have Napster installed on both my iPhone and m iPad. I have not had any problems using both devices; I just cannot use both devices at the same time. You can only be logged into one device at a time. This is a minor inconvenience, but certainly not a deal breaker. The Napster application is a free app available at the iTunes store.

Subscription music services are not for everyone, but if you are willing to spend $10 a month for unlimited access to a nearly unlimited music library, then Napster or Rhapsody will meet your needs. If you want your music on an iPod touch, iPad, or iPhone, then the Napster service is probably your only option.